Interview with Larissa Hardesty

Happy Monday, everyone. What's that you say? Nothing happy about Monday? Sure there is. An example, you say? Well I've got one! Here's a very cool interview with an up and coming aspiring author that's sure to please.

Welcome, Larissa! Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm a wife and mother of three (7, 5, and 3). I teach preschool, direct the handbell choirs at my church, and I'm a Creative Memories Consultant. Oh, yeah, and I write, too!


Fun fact: I met my husband at Disney World while on a family vacation during my senior year of high school. He was working for his dad at the silversmith booth in the Marketplace. I spent the whole vacation with him, and he was part of the reason I decided to come to Florida for college. We got married two weeks after I graduated, and our ten-year anniversary was last month.

Wow, there's a story! Congratulations on ten years! Let's talk about your writing. What is the name and genre of your current manuscript?

LURE is a MG Paranormal novel.

Here’s the part where you pitch it. What’s your story about?

LURE is about a thirteen-year-old boy who hates to read, and what happens when a book starts literally taking over his town. You can see the full query here and here.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

I was reading an agent's blog about making your story compelling, and I thought, "What if a book really was compelling?" It grew from there.

I love the concept, and the title fits perfectly with the premise. Bravo! Is your manuscript complete or still a work in progress?

It's complete. I have a couple of partials and queries out now. *fingers crossed* *maybe toes, too*

I'll cross my fingers and toes for you too, though I don't think you need my help, what with all the contests you keep winning. Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

A little bit of all of that. I have two critique groups, one in-person and one online. They get stuff two chapters at a time, and there's a lot of line-editing involved in that. I also have some beta readers. They are best for big-picture stuff. In between those, I do a lot of self-editing. LOL. It seems never-ending some times.

I hear you. What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Finding time to write (four part-time jobs and three kids'll do that to ya). As for actual writing, I think knowing when something is done and ready to send out.

Any tips you’ve learned about writing you’d like to share?

I recently attended an SCBWI conference, and Kathleen Duey has some of my absolute favorite tips for writing. I blogged about the conference I attended in January here and June here. And if you ever have a chance to go to a conference where she's speaking, GO.

Great advice. Tips right from the source. Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Not much. I'm pretty easy to please. I need to be comfy, have coffee if it's daytime and water if it's night, and have my trusty laptop.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: submarine, push ups, and giraffe.

Lack of head room makes it difficult for a giraffe to do push ups in a submarine.

LOL, why yes, that's true. Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Who would you like to give a shout out to?

Wow. Great writing buddies are Jackie Dolamore, Jessica Souders, Mindy Alyse Weiss, Aimee Bussard, Ruth Donnelly, Nikki Loftin, Jessie Harrell, and tons of people from the Verla Kay Blueboards.

And of course, my wonderful husband and children, who put up with me constantly being on my laptop. LOL.

It'll all pay off when you're a best seller. :) And finally, where can people find you online?

I blog. I tweet. I post on the Blueboards. Come say hi!

Thank you so much for chatting with us, Larissa. I really look forward to reading LURE, so hurry up and get published! ;)